| #3 Just recently, I had an annoying episode involving passport renewal. I went and got photos, filled out a DS-82 online and sent everything in. Two weeks later, it all came back with a cover letter stating that the renewal was rejected because I was wearing glasses in the picture. Never mind my existing passport photo had me wearing glasses, the rules had changed and nowhere in the materials to renew via DS-82 and submitting existing passport was this explained. Now, when I moved to Florida and got a Florida DL, they had me remove my glasses for the photo. This is a Real ID compliant photo ID, and no glasses is part of the guidelines. So, it must be the case that these facial recognition databases are geared towards faces without glasses. If that's the case, putting on glasses, especially ones with heavy frames could be expected to throw the facial recognition algorithms off. But that's just a guess. Are they also making people who wear an eye patch remove that for these photos? That could be interesting. Anyway, I got a no glasses photo (no charge to get it taken again at FedEx Office - that's a plug) and sent it in again. We shall see. |